In coming years, the next time you sit down to have your teeth checked, the practitioner could be a UWI Orthodontics programme graduate. First of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean, the three-year MSc programme is under the School of Dentistry at the Faculty of Medical Sciences in collaboration with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd).
It officially launched in October 2025 with Dr Daniece Garraway and Dr Alexa Diaz in the first student cohort.
“We are so proud that we will be shaping the next generation of orthodontic specialists and strengthening the foundation for sustainable specialist dental education in the Caribbean,” observes Dr Trudee Hoyte, programme coordinator and lecturer.
Orthodontic specialists specialise in aligning bites and straightening. Their focus is diagnosis, prevention, and management of bite irregularities. They also oversee the facial growth of children. Dr Hoyte explains, “We also prepare patients for restorative or surgical treatment and contribute to care for individuals with craniofacial conditions.”
“Our health starts with our mouths,” observes Seth Boyd, representative of American Orthodontics. “If you have things like malocclusion, where the teeth don't fit together, or you have a cleft palate, you have lots of issues that keep you from being able to eat or to smile.”
As the world’s largest manufacturer of orthodontic braces, American Orthodontics will provide essential materials to the programme for two years for free and after at a reduced cost. The students participate in online lectures offered at no cost to the programme by the RCSEd members.
“I have had the pleasure of being lectured by some of the best consultants and professors in orthodontics,” notes Dr Garraway.
The support allows the department to provide affordable education.
“I searched for programmes in the UK, but the cost was prohibitive,” says Dr Garraway. “The idea of continuing my studies at home and gaining clinical experience by treating patients in my own local healthcare system attracted me.”
The programme can considerably increase accessibility to orthodontic services to communities and help reduce costs. Dr Hoyte says this could encourage patients to access care earlier and prevent the need for complex and expensive treatments later.
While the students benefit from internationally recognised education, they also gain knowledge geared for Caribbean people. For example, 68 percent of the population has bimaxillary proclination—proclined upper and lower incisors. They have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the condition. This has drawn the attention of specialists across the world.
The programme could be transformative for orthodontics regionally. “We don't have to have a million orthodontists, but if we can just add a few to the Caribbean or to Trinidad and Tobago, we can help a whole lot more people,” explains Boyd.
Dr Garraway anticipates great possibilities for her career and future orthodontists. “I would recommend that other interested dentists apply for the next intake. Furthering your education and career is costly, both financially and in terms of time, but if it’s something that you are truly passionate about pursuing, it will be worth it in the end.”
